Exploring the role of the CapG gene in hypoxia adaptation in Tibetan pigs.

Introduction: The CapG gene, which is an actin-binding protein, is prevalent in eukaryotic cells and is abundantly present in various pathways associated with plateau hypoxia adaptation. Tibetan pigs, which have inhabited high altitudes for extended periods, provide an excellent research population for investigating plateau hypoxia adaptation. Results: This study focused on Tibetan pigs and Yorkshire pigs residing in Nyingchi, Tibet. The blood physiological data of Tibetan pigs were found to be significantly higher than those of Yorkshire pigs, including RBC, HGB, HCT, MCH, and MCHC. The SNP analysis of the CapG gene identified six sites with mutations only present in Tibetan pigs. Notably, the transcription factors at sites C-489T, C-274T, and A-212G were found to be altered, and these sites are known to be associated with hypoxia adaptation and blood oxygen transportation. The mRNA expression of the CapG gene exhibited highly significant differences in several tissues, with the target proteins predominantly higher in the Yorkshire pig compared to the Tibetan pig. Specifically, a notable difference was observed in the lung tissues. Immunohistochemistry analysis revealed high expression levels of CapG proteins in the lung tissues of both Tibetan and Yorkshire pigs, primarily localized in the cytoplasm and cell membrane. Conclusion: The CapG gene plays a significant role in regulating hypoxia adaptation in Tibetan pigs. This study provides a theoretical basis for the conservation and utilization of Tibetan pig resources, the breeding of highland breeds, epidemic prevention and control, and holds great importance for the development of the highland livestock economy.

Effects of Different Feed Additives on Intestinal Metabolite Composition of Weaned Piglets.

To study the effects of different feed additives on the weaning stress of Tibetan piglets, we selected 28 healthy, 30-day-old Tibetan weaned piglets and divided them into four groups, namely, the control group (basal feed without any antibiotic additions) (Nor), the group with the addition of the antibiotic lincomycin (Ant), the group with the addition of fifteen-flavor black pills of Tibetan medicine (Tib), and the group with the addition of fecal bacterial supernatant (Fec). We measured growth performance, blood physiological indexes, and metabolomics. The results showed that the Ant, Tib, and Fec groups significantly reduced the ratio of diarrhea to feed/weight (F/G) and increased the average daily gain (ADG) compared with the Nor group (p < 0.01). The Nor group had significantly lower leukocyte counts, hemoglobin levels, and erythrocyte counts compared with the other three groups at 21 d (p < 0.05). These physiological indexes tended to stabilize at 42 d. We found that there were beneficial metabolites and metabolic pathways for gastrointestinal function. Specifically, the porphyrin metabolic pathway was elevated in the Ant group, and the tryptophan metabolic pathway was significantly elevated in the Tib and Fec groups compared with the Nor group (p < 0.05). In conclusion, adding fecal bacterial supernatant and fifteen-flavor black pills of Tibetan medicine to the feed reduced the rate of diarrhea and improved the growth performance of the piglets. Moreover, it had an effect on the microorganisms and their metabolites and pathways in the gastrointestinal tract of the animals, which might be the main reason for influencing the diarrhea rate of weaned Tibetan piglets and the growth and development of the piglets. This study provides a new approach for anti-stress applications in weaned Tibetan piglets and the development of substitute anti-products.

Haplotypes within the regulatory region of MYL4 are associated with pig muscle fiber size.

Our previous transcriptomic study identified MYL4 (myosin light chain 4) to be associated with muscle development and growth in pigs. In this study, we aimed to investigate the genetic variation of MYL4 and determine the effect of these variations in regulating MYL4 expression and muscle fiber size. After screening the regulatory region of MYL4 in Large White pigs, we identified nine completely linked single nucleotide polymorphisms within the MYL4 regulatory region, which showed two haplotypes (H1 and H2). And in MYL4 may affect the activity of the promoter region and regulate the traits of porcine muscle. The results of Western blotting and qRT-PCR showed that haplotype H2 significantly (p < 0.01) increased the relative mRNA and protein expression of MYL4 gene in pig LD tissues, and tissue sections also showed the number of genotype H2H2 Significantly higher than genotype H1H1, in conclusion, our results suggest that MYL4 may promote muscle growth and development and can affect the transcriptional activity of MYL4 through haplotype H1 and haplotype H2.

Healthy Gut Microbiome Composition Enhances Disease Resistance and Fat Deposition in Tibetan Pigs.

The gut microbiota is involved in a range of physiological processes in animals, and modulating the microbiome composition is considered a novel target for identifying animal traits. Tibetan pigs show better fat deposition and disease resistance compared to Yorkshire pigs. However, studies investigating the correlation between favorable characteristics in Tibetan pigs and the gut microbial community remain scarce. In the current study, 1,249,822 high-quality sequences were obtained by amplicon sequencing of the colon contents of Tibetan and Yorkshire pigs. We found that at the boundary level, the abundance and relative abundance of colon bacterial community in Tibetan pigs were higher than that in Yorkshire pigs (P > 0.05). Phylum level, Firmicutes were the dominant colonic microflora of Tibetan and Yorkshire pigs, and the ratio of Firmicutes to Bacteroides in Tibetan pigs was slightly higher than in Yorkshire pigs. Actinobacteria and Spirobacteria were significantly higher in Tibetan pigs than in Yorkshire pigs (P < 0.05). At the genus level, the relative abundance of Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, and Bacteriologist, which are related to disease resistance, was significantly higher than that in Yorkshire pigs in Yorkshire pigs. In conclusion, the composition and abundance of colonic intestinal microflora in Tibetan pigs were closely related to their superior traits. Bifidobacteria, Ruminococcaceae, and Family-XIII-AD3011-Group are conducive to improving disease resistance in Tibetan pigs. Lactobacillus and Solobacterium were observed to be the main bacterial communities involved in fat deposition in Tibetan pigs. This study will provide a new reference for the development and utilization of Tibetan pigs in future.

Effect of Fluoride on Cytotoxicity Involved in Mitochondrial Dysfunction: A Review of Mechanism.

Fluoride is commonly found in the soil and water environment and may act as chronic poison. A large amount of fluoride deposition causes serious harm to the ecological environment and human health. Mitochondrial dysfunction is a shared feature of fluorosis, and numerous studies reported this phenomenon in different model systems. More and more evidence shows that the functions of mitochondria play an extremely influential role in the organs and tissues after fluorosis. Fluoride invades into cells and mainly damages mitochondria, resulting in decreased activity of mitochondrial related enzymes, weakening of protein expression, damage of respiratory chain, excessive fission, disturbance of fusion, disorder of calcium regulation, resulting in the decrease of intracellular ATP and the accumulation of Reactive oxygen species. At the same time, the decrease of mitochondrial membrane potential leads to the release of Cyt c, causing a series of caspase cascade reactions and resulting in apoptosis. This article mainly reviews the mechanism of cytotoxicity related to mitochondrial dysfunction after fluorosis. A series of mitochondrial dysfunction caused by fluorosis, such as mitochondrial dynamics, mitochondrial Reactive oxygen species, mitochondrial fission, mitochondrial respiratory chain, mitochondrial autophagy apoptosis, mitochondrial fusion disturbance, mitochondrial calcium regulation are emphasized, and the mechanism of the effect of fluoride on cytotoxicity related to mitochondrial dysfunction are further explored.